Comparison of the Toilet Training Features between Children with Normal Development and Children with Down Syndrome at the Ages of 3–6 Years

Background: It was indicated that children with Down syndrome complete toilet training later than children with normal development.

Aim: This study was conducted to compare the ages at which toilet training starts and finishes, how long it takes to complete the training, and the materials and methods used in children with normal development and Down syndrome between the ages of 3–6.

Methods: A case-control type study was conducted with the families of 40 children with Down syndrome and 40 children with normal development aged 3–6 who attended special education facilities and kindergartens in the provinces of Kütahya, İzmir, and Eskişehir between May 2019 and December 2019. The data were collected by the researcher using the closed envelope method with the control group, and a face-to-face interview with the parents of the case group using the Sociodemographic Feature Form and Toilet Training Questionnaire. To analyze the data, Descriptive statistics and the Mann–Whitney U test were used.

Results: In children with Down Syndrome, the mean age of starting toilet training was 41.12 ± 14.16 months, the mean age to complete toilet training was 51.75 ± 13.83 months, the mean time to complete toilet training was 41.40 ± 35.51 weeks, the mean age to ditch the diaper at nights was 50.43 ± 14.26 months, and the mean age to ditch the diaper in daytime was 43.23 ± 15.40 months. In children with normal development, the mean age to start toilet training was 30.35 ± 9.57 months, the mean age to complete toilet training was 32.80 ± 11.16 months, the mean time to complete toilet training was 13.10 ± 13.74 weeks, the mean age to ditch the diaper at nights was 32.73 ± 11.14 months, and the mean age to ditch the diaper in daytime was 30.35 ± 9.58 months.

Conclusion: Children with Down syndrome start and complete toilet training later than children with normal development, between the ages of 3 and 6. Toilet training should be done specifically for each child’s developmental characteristics because each child’s developmental process and traits vary.